EPA to Fund Projects that Help Businesses in New Jersey Prevent Pollution; More Than $335,000 in EPA Grants Going to Small and Medium-sized Companies

(New York, N.Y.) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $335,705 to organizations in New Jersey to fund projects that will help small and medium-sized businesses reduce pollution. These grants, which were awarded to the New Jersey Small Business Development Center at Rutgers University and the New Jersey Institute of Technology, are part of the approximately $5 million in grants the EPA awards each year to prevent pollution across the nation.

"The EPA's pollution prevention grants fund programs that reduce or eliminate hazardous waste," said EPA Regional Administrator Judith A. Enck. "Preventing pollution at the front end helps businesses reduce the use of toxic materials, save water and energy, protect human health and save money. Pollution prevention can also reduce emissions of greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change."

The EPA awarded the New Jersey Institute of Technology $180,000 to provide pollution prevention recommendations to manufacturing businesses in Newark, New Jersey. Representatives of the New Jersey Institute of Technology, in partnership with the Ironbound Community Corporation, will visit small-to-medium sized businesses to assess their operations, and recommend modifications in their manufacturing processes to reduce pollution. Through this technical assistance, these businesses will be able to reduce hazardous material releases, energy and water consumption and operational expenses.

With the help of a $155,705 EPA grant, The New Jersey Small Business Development Centers at Rutgers University, in partnership with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, will provide pollution prevention and sustainability technical assistance to small and medium-sized businesses to help them reduce greenhouse gas emissions, use of hazardous materials and water consumption. The New Jersey Small Business Development Centers will provide direct technical assistance and create a web-based application and a business registry. The organization will also recognize participating businesses with a New Jersey Sustainable Business Award.